File



April 22, 1930.

T. J. OCONNELL FILE Filed June 14, 1927 FIE 3- INVENTOI R BYT'IIOMJSJ'OCanned ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 22, 1930 PArs r OFFICE THOMAS J.'OCONNELL, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA FILE Application filed .Tune 14,

My invention relates to files for use in holding a sheaf of papers inorder for storage or for ready reference.

Papers are usually clipped together in order to keep them convenientlyassembled, but it often becomes necessary to extract one of the sheetsfrom the sheaf or to add other sheets thereto but these are oftencumbersome procedures with files as they are at present constructed. 7

It is'therefore an object of my invention to provide a file to whichpapers can readily be added and from which papers can readily beextracted.

Anotherobject of my invention is to provide a paper file which, withpapers filed ghereon, can readily be detached from its ase.

Another object of my invention is to provide an economically constructedfile.

My invention possesses other advantageous features some of which withthe foregoing will be set forth at length in the followingde- 'scriptionwhere I shall outline in full that I form of the file of my invention,which I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying andforming part of the present specification. In said drawings I have shownone form of file embodying my invention, but

" it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to such form sincethe invention as set forth in the claims may be embodied in a pluralityof forms.

. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a file constructed according to myinvention. r Fig. 2 is across section on the line 2-2 of *ig. 1. r Fig.3 is a plan of a sheet of paper especially perforated to be used withthe file of my invention.

In its'preferred form, the file of my invention comprises a base havingthereon a rod bothof whose ends are seated in the base and 5 anassociated rod only one of whose ends is seated in the base.

In the illustrated form of my invention, I

provide a suitable base which can be made of two portions, a pad 6usually constructed of'wood and a metallic plate 7 preferably 1927.Serial No. 198,722.

countersunk to have its upper surface flush with the surface of the pad.The plate preferably is secured to the pad by means of screws 8permitting it to be detached if necessary but ordinarily I prefer tohave the two associated. The plate is provided with a plurality ofirregular apertures 9 of generally rectangular contour which areprovided with inwardly projecting lips 11. The material of the pad 6 isremoved below the apertures and lips to form depressions 12 thereunder.

. To secure papers to the pad 6, I preferably provide a file comprisinga continuous strip of metal which is'detachable from the plate 7 andwhich is bent into successive convolutions. One end of the strip ofmaterial is bentto form a rod or prong 13 seated in the plate 7 andarising substantially perpendicular therefrom. The upper end of the rod13 is slightly arcuate and is rounded to form a smooth terminal. The rod13 passes below the lip 11 in one of the apertures 9 and again emergesfrom its seat below the plate 7 to form a looped rod 14 which extendssubstantially parallel to the prong 13 and again seats below the plate 7in another of the apertures 9. A second looped rod'16 is provided adjacent the looped rod 14, while remote from the prong 13 is a similarprong 17 completing the symmetry of the convoluted strip about a centralplane.

It will be noted that the lips 11 in the apertures 9 are faced inopposite directions so that the various legs of the strip will be heldin place by their resilience, and can readily be removed by urging thevarious legs toward each other. In this manner the entire strip canreadily be removed from the base and together with its attached paperscan beentirely separated therefrom.

In order to utilize to the best advantage the file as I have describedit I preferably perforateina particular manner a sheet of paper 18 to beused therewith. Adjacent one edge of the paper, which is usually the topof the sheet, I provide a pair of perforations 19 and 20 whoseperipheries are preferably uninterrupted circles. I also provide inlinewith and between the apertures 19 and 20 a pair of apertures 22 whoseperipheries are not continuous but communicate through slits 23 with theedge 24 of the sheet of paper.

In positioning the sheet of paper on my file, I preferably place it asshown by the dotted line 26 in Fig. 1, and move it in a planeperpendicular to the legs of the rods 14 and 16 to cause the rods topass through the slits '23 and be engaged by the apertures 22. The sheetof paper can readily be attached and detached from the file byengagement of the apertures 22 with the rods 14 and 16, and can alsoeasily be moved axially along the rods. To attach thepaper permanentlyto the file, I preferably lift it axially of the rods 14 and 16 and passit around the loops therein. As-fit comes adjacent the arcuate portionsof the prongs 13 and 17, the apertures 19 and 20 pass axially over theprongs 1'3 and 17 and finally the sheet of paper rests on the pad 6 withall of the apertures 19, 20 and 22 in engagement with the rods 13, 14,,16 and 17. Avery firmengagement of the paper on the file is therebyprovided. V V It is not p'os'sible to extract papers in this positionfrom the file by movement in aplane parallel to the axes of the rods 13and 17 without tearing'the paper. When, however, it is desired to detacha sheet from the file, it is merely necessary to lift it so that theapertures 19 and 20 are no longer inengagement with the prongs 13 and 17and then to move the sheet of paper in a plane perpendicular to the axesofthe rods 14 and 16 so that the rods will pass through the slits 23 andagain free the paper. Sheets of paper resting on the pad 6 are therebypermanently attached to the file while those lying in the position ofthe dotted line'26 of Fig. 'l'a're readily detached therefromalthough'they are held securely enough not to be detached of'their ownaccord.

1. Afile for use with a sheet of paper having a 'pair of aperturestherein, one of said apertures having a continuousboundary and thesecondof said apertures communicating with the'edg'e'of said sheet'of paper,comprising a support, a pair of relatively fixed rods, oneof said rodshaving its ends anchored to 'the'support and adapted to be engaged bysaid second aperture upon movement of said sheet of paper in a'planeperpendicular to said rod, and the other of said rods having a free endis adapted subsequently to be engaged by said first aperture uponmovement of said sheet of paper in the 7 direction of the axis of saidrod.

2. A file comprising a base having apertures therein, a continuous stripresiliently engaging said apertures including a prong projecting fromsaid base and a loophaving one leg parallel to said prong, said looplying plane determined by said prong and one of the legsof said loop.

3. A file for perforated sheets comprising a base, a continuous metallicfile strip including a loop portion and a spaced parallel prongcoextensive with only a portion of the loop, and means associated. withthe base adapted for detachable engagement with the file strip adjacentthe ends of the loop portion to anchor the strip to the base. 4. A filefor perforated sheets comprising a base, a continuous metallic filestrip comprising upwardly extending loop portions and spaced parallelprongs oflesser extent than the loop portions, and anchoring meansassociated with the base detachably engaged with the continuous strip ata plurality of points intermediate its ends.

5. A file for perforated sheets comprising a flat base member, acontinuous bent rod having spaced parallel loop portions and free endsprojecting above the base, and means associated with the base to holdthe rod in engagement with the base.

6. A file for perforated sheets comprising a base member having spacedrecesses formed therein, a continuous bent rod having upstanding spacedparallel loop portions and free ends extending above the base member,said rod having portions thereof intermediate its ends engaged withinthe recesses formed in the base member.

7. In a file for perforated sheets, a base, means associated with thebase for engaging and anchoring a holding'strip for the sheets, acontinuous metal strip resilientl engaged at a plurality of'poin'tsintermediate'its ends with said means, said metallic strip having loopportions and spaced parallel prongs extending'up'wardly from the base,the prongs being coextensive with only portions 'o'f'the loo s.

8 In combination, a sheet having 'ajplurality ofalinedaperturesandslot's communicating through the edge of the sheet with certain ofthe apertures, a base, a continuous rod fastened at its ends to the baseand "engageable only in a slot-connected aperture by movement of thesheet transverseto'the axis of the rod, and an associated spacedparallel rod of lesser extent adapted to be engaged or disengaged bymovement 'of'the sheet in a direction along the axis of thefirst-mentioned rod. I

In testimony whereof, 'I have hereunto set my'hand.

THOMAS J. OCONN'ELL;

in a plane substantially perpendicular to the

